The Broken Heart
by Cow as White as Milk
Summary: Greg Sanders a seasoned CSI begins teaching at SPD Academy after the death of his wife and what's up with Dr. Manx? Xover with CSI. RR
1. Chapter 1

The Broken Heart

Summary: Greg Sanders a seasoned CSI begins teaching at SPD Academy after the death of his wife amd what's up with Dr. Manx?

Disclaimer: I do not own Greg Sanders or Power Rangers unfortunately.

It had been a little over a year after the death of his wife yet still his memory of her seemed to stretch on before him. He didn't think that he would ever forget her, and that he was thankful for. Her life had been taken prematurely in his mind. She was so beautiful and she loved her job. He frowned. It was the job that killed her.

At first he was so quick to blame the person who pulled the trigger, and he was relieved when Nick put the bastard behind bars, but, he knew just as she did that the job had hazards. Heck, it was a lesson they all learned first hand when Nick was nabbed and buried alive twenty years prior. Nick, bless him, only wanted what was best for everyone. He was always that way, in fact it was he who stayed strong for Greg's sake.

Professor Greg Sanders sighed as he glanced up at the monstrosity of a building that was the SPD Delta Base. It was a far stretch from what he was used to back at the Las Vegas crime lab that he had called home for the past twenty five years. But Nick was right, he was ready for a change and if that meant teaching cadets a thing or too, he wasn't complaining. It's exactly what his wife would have wanted him to do. He sighed again and pushed through the doors and headed toward the front counter.

"Can I help you, sir?" A voice said startling him out of his jumbled thoughts.

Greg nodded, "I'm Professor Sanders, I'm here to see Commander Cruger."

"Oh, he's in the command center right now. You can take the escalator up to the third floor someone will show you were to go if you ask."

"Right," He said as he headed for the escalator.

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Kat Manx let out a soft yowl for what seemed like the fiftieth time that day. Nothing seemed to be going right for her. The command center was now in shambles due in part to one of Boom's many experiments and she had to take the blame for it. She shook her head. Nothing was worse than having a big, blue, dog of a commander growling in your face. She meant that respectfully of course, after all, Commander Cruger was a big, blue dog. But, she had to admit that in all of her 148 Earth years, she had yet to meet anyone who was more stubborn than her commander.

They had been friends for years, but even that wasn't enough to get him to lighten up. Doesn't he know that it's more stressful to work with his constant nagging? It was definitely not good for her heart that was for sure. She supposed that he had every right to be the way he was, after all, he too had his fair share of stress, and a good quarter of it came from her.

Just last year, she had fallen extremely ill, leaving Boom in charge of her duties. She laughed to herself as she remembered waking up one day to a disgruntled Doggie leaning over her begging for her to recover. She wasn't out of it so much that she didn't notice the silver hairs growing at the base of his ears either.

He was trying to be humorous to cheer her up, she knew that, but she also knew that he was being dead serious. She could sense just how scared he was for her. She had a failing heart, and they had been waiting for weeks for a transplant. She knew that she didn't have much of a chance for survival, even if she did get a new heart, because it was impossible to find an exact match for her. They were going to rely on genetic re-sequencing to change the genetic code of a human heart so that she would have a better chance of not rejecting it. The chance was one and a million and with her team by her side, she took it and she survived.

She was happy with the outcome, but sad that it had to come at a price. Someone had lost their life in order for her to live. Someone who more than likely had a family and friends who loved them. She wished that she could thank them in person, but all she was allowed to do was write them a letter.

Turning the corner, she let out another yowl, this one not so soft as the others. Apparently she was so deep in thought she forgot to watch where she was going, and ran head first into a tall human male causing her to land on her hindquarters before she could catch herself.

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'The place is gigantic that much is true,' Greg though to himself as he took it all in. He wasn't sure, but he was pretty certain that it could house a small town. He let out a low whistle and commented to himself about the architecture. He was positive that he hadn't seen anything remotely like it before. What it lacked in looks on the outside definitely was made up in the bowels of the building.

His eye caught three cadets talking amongst themselves and he decided that it was about time he found the command center. He was about to walk over to them when a force hit him from behind almost knocking him over. Looking back he noticed a woman staring up at him from the ground.

"Oh," he said as if to remember his manners and he offered her a hand. "I'm sorry, I was in your way."

She took his hand, "No, it's okay. I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm Dr. Katherine Manx, but you can call me Kat."

Greg cracked a smile at the irony of her name. 'Manx is a type of cat, and she looks like a cat so they call her Kat', he rambled in his head. "They have the name Katherine where you're from?"

Kat gave him a small smile that showed him a hint of her fangs. "Apparently they do."

"I'm Professor Sanders, but you can call me Greg." he said as he let go of her hand. "I was looking for the command center when you bumped into me. I'm supposed to meet Commander Cruger."

"Oh," she said. "It's right this way, if you'll follow me it's not far."

Greg obliged noticing with interest that her right ear twitched when he said the commander's name. They walked in silence for about a minute when she spoke up again.

"You may think this is weird, but when you helped me up, your touch felt familiar somehow. Have we met before?"

Greg gave her a toothy grin. "No, I would have remembered." He didn't however say that he had felt it too. He also noticed that he had smiled in her presence, twice, and he just met her. A feat he wasn't able to accomplish in over a year. Kat intrigued him, that much was for certain. There was just something about her that seemed to reach out to him and he was going to find out what it was if it was the last thing he did.


	2. Chapter 2

Boom glanced nervously at the Commander. He knew not to bug him at this particular moment, not after the way he had yelled at Kat. Yup, Cruger was on edge, and the whole academy new it. Boom was just surprised that the Commander hadn't taken his anger out o him. After all, It was he who accidently messed up. Poor Kat was just unfortunate to walk in after the explosion. Boom had watched speechless as the Commander laid into her, dressing her down for not being at her post. The only indication of Kat's uneasiness was that her ears had flattened. She didn't even look his way, she just stood there and took the blame for him.

Shaking his head he set back to work re-calibrating the combined DNA indexing system. He still couldn't believe that he had caused this mess. There was still no telling what the fried CODIS had done to the other systems. He just knew that as of now they were all off line. Even the door to the entrance was stuck open.

Leaning back, he took another scan. Pleased with what he saw there, he flipped the on switch and the power turned on and the doors to the command center shut. It didn't stay shut for long as Kat had strode in followed by a middle aged man that he had never seen before. The Commander sniffed the air and growled. Apparently he hadn't forgiven Kat just yet. Boom watched in silence behind the CODIS unit. He was hoping that Cruger wouldn't lay into her again.

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Commander Cruger sat in his chair with R.I.C. at his feet and waited for Boom to get the command center functioning again. He was still in disbelief at how incompetent two of his best people had behaved earlier that morning. He was livid with both of them, however he had made the decision to punish only Kat. He had dismissed her for three days while Boom watched in the background. Cruger knew that Boom thought very highly of Kat and he also knew that Kat's punishment would singlehandedly be enough of a torture for the young gadget tester. He didn't need to punish him for that reason alone.

Cruger blinked as the power suddenly came alive with a swish of the doors as they closed. He was about to comment to Boom that he had done a good job, when the door opened again. Sniffing the air, Cruger growled. "I thought I told you not to come back for three days." He bit out.

"I'm not here to work, Doggie." She said with a hint of irritation in her voice. "There is someone here to see you. I ran into him and though I'd show him the way."

"She's not kidding either." another voice spoke up.

Cruger turned to see who the newcomer was. A tall human stood there. He was lean with brown spiky hair that had hints of grey around his temporal region. He was dressed in a dark grey suit that seemed to cast a no nonsense air about him, but what stood out most was his eyes. Cruger had seen the likes of them before. He had sized up many people in his lifetime, and the man in front of him was no exception, but his eyes were different. They set him apart. The man standing before him had seen horrific things and suffered great loss. His eyes were haunted. Cruger cocked his head to the side. "You must be Professor Sanders."

"Yes, sir. I am." The man replied.

"I'm sorry I wasn't prepared for your arrival due to some mishaps," Cruger said and inwardly chuckled at Kat as her ears once again dropped back as she glared at him. "But, I am glad that you could make it. I had a chance to go through the portfolio you sent. It's very impressive, I have no doubt that you would be a great asset to our cadets. Your knowledge in the CSI field is extensive."

The man nodded. "I have had the fortune of working with the finest. Everything that I know I learned from them."

Commander Cruger brought up a file on his computer. "It says here that you first worked under Gil Grissom."

"He helped me get into the field."

"Gruesome Grissom." Cruger said with a laugh. "I had a chance of working with him when I first took command here. Dr. Manx had commissioned him to help design the labs."

Professor Sanders glanced back at Kat. "You?"

Kat nodded. "That's right."

"But you look like you're twenty five." He said in disbelief.

"Looks can be deceiving." Kat said with a smirk.

Cruger stepped forward. "It says here that you also worked under Sara Sidle and then switched to work under Nick Stokes. Can I ask why?"

Professor Sanders eyes seemed to shadow. "I asked Sara to marry me."

"You married your supervisor?" Kat asked.

"Excuse me." Cruger said to the professor. "Kat, why don't you take Boom and go to lunch."

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Clearly irritated, Kat let out a yowl towards the corner of the room. Professor Sanders was surprised to see a head pop up from behind a consol. He had thought that there was only three people in the room. He was also startled as the R.I.C. let out a bark as Kat headed toward the door.

"Why don't you take RIC with you." Cruger added. RIC growled happily and bounded out after Kat and Boom.

Greg raised an eyebrow. "Wow, he's more canine than any R.I.C. I've ever seen."

Commander Cruger went back to his seat. "Yes, he is." He said with a nod. "Now, what is it that you were saying about CSI Sidle."

Greg groaned. He had known that this was going to come up, but he had hoped that the subject would have been held off a little longer. However, he was glad that he didn't have the audience that he did before Kat took Boom and left the Command Center. He liked Kat, but he didn't want her to be listening in on his personal issues. "I don't know where to begin." He said with a sigh.

"Why don't you start at the Beginning." Cruger suggested.

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	3. Chapter 3

Kat grumbled under her breath as she poked the stake on her plate with a fork. Just as she had been doing for the past ten minutes as Boom shoveled his food into his mouth. Every once in a while she would sense his eyes on her, but she ignored him. She knew that the poor guy probably thought she was mad at him, and who was she to lie, she was a bit irked. After all, it was his fault that she was in Cruger's dog house.

Yet, surprisingly, it wasn't Boom that captivated the majority of her mind. It was the Professor who decided to create a wall in her path not an hour earlier. There was something so familiar about him, yet she couldn't place her finger on it.

"Kat?" The sound of Boom's voice drew her out of her reverie.

"Yes." She managed.

"Are you okay?" The question took her aback. She was so ready for him to ask her if she was mad at him that the quick answer she had prepared was obsolete. Instead she shrugged, because, to tell the truth, she didn't know herself.

"Do you believe in déjà vu?" She asked.

Boom seemed startled by her question. "Well," he started uneasily. "Anything is possible. Why do you ask?"

Kat shook her head. "There's something strange about that new professor."

"What do you mean?" Boom asked. "He seemed fine to me. Maybe a little withdrawn, but since I never met him how am I to know that he isn't always like that."

Kat blinked. "I don't know. It just seems like he should be happier or something." She pushed her plate to the side and leaned on her elbows. "He smiled earlier and I had the feeling it was the first time in a long time."

"Oh," Boom said as he shoveled another spoon full of food into his mouth. "But what does all this have to do with déjà vu?"

She bit her lip as she tried to place a memory and then shook her head again. "This may sound weird, but when he smiled, it was almost like I remembered him happy, goofy even."

"You're right. That does sound weird." Boom said with a nod. "Cause the man I saw was all stern and proper. Like a human Birdie Fowler."

Kat grumbled under her breath about overgrown, domineering birds and enticed a laugh of agreement out of Boom. Smiling, she leaned her cheek on her hand and vowed to herself that she was going to get behind the mystery of one Greg Sanders.

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Bridge Carson stared straight forward at the scene unfolding before him. Today's lunch period, started just the same as any other day since Jack left. Sydney sat by the window listening to her music while he sat and watched Sky and Z squabble over a game of Bullhonkey Scrabble. Why they chose this as a past time, he hadn't the slightest idea, but it was fun to watch.

"Bullhonkey, Sky, zebu is not a word." Z was saying.

"The heck it isn't, Miss. High and Mighty. I'll have you know that zebu is definitely a word." Sky shot back.

Bridge felt Sydney's hair fall over his shoulder. "They aren't playing Bullhonkey Scrabble again, are they? What's going on?" She whispered.

"Amusement." Bridge said.

"I bet you it's not." Z said with a smirk hinting at her lips.

Bridge broke out into an all out grin. "And it just got better."

"I'll take that bet. Whoever loses has to kiss a higher ranking officer." Sky replied.

Sydney and Bridge stared on in disbelief. "You guys are going to get yourselves into so much trouble." Syd chided.

Z bit her lip as if to think it through. "It's a deal. Syd, can you go look up the 'word' zebu?"

"Sure thing." She said and grabbed the dictionary and sat down next to Bridge. "Here it is! It's a domesticated ox found in Asia and parts of Africa."

Z groaned clearly miffed that she had been had by her fellow ranger. A ranger that was currently busying himself with laughing at her. "Okay fine," She grumbled before launching herself at an extremely shocked Sky and kissing him soundly on the lips.

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Kat approached the B Squad common room with caution. She could distinctly hear the peals of laughter coming from within. She Shook her head. It still amazed her how grown human adults could sometimes act like teenagers. Sighing she walked inside and found Sky and Z in a tangled heap on the floor each blushing to a color that matched Sky's uniform.

"What's going on here?" She asked before thinking better of it. "You know what. I'm not ready to know." She said as she raised her hands in mock surrender. "Bridge, can I speak with you?" She asked gesturing out the door.

Bridge shared a glance with Syd and nodded. Once outside, Kat put a hand on his shoulder. "I need you to do a favor for me."

"Sure Kat, what's up?" He asked.

"Well, you know already that we were going to be getting a new professor, but when you meet him, I would like you to check him out for me. There's something strange about him, I just can't put my finger on it."

Bridge stared at her in disbelief. "You want me to read his aura?"

"Yes." Kat said with a nod. "I just want to make sure all is right with him."

"Okay," Bridge said. "But would you mind my asking why you would think that something is amiss?"

Kat bristled, but she knew that he would ask that. He wasn't a Ranger for nothing. "Sure, why don't we take a walk and I'll tell you what I think about him.

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	4. Chapter 4

It had already been a week since Greg arrived at the academy and already he felt at home. He found much understanding after his heart to heart with the commander. Turns out, Cruger had once suffered the loss of a wife as well. Only unlike the Commander, Greg seriously doubted that he would ever be reunited with his wife.

He had also had the chance to meet Cruger's prized B-Squad. There were only four of them, which was a bit of a surprise after hearing countless stories over the past year of five. Yet, out of the four, he understood why they made such a team. After being a CSI for so long, he learned to be observant of people and their behaviors. These rangers felt complete when they were together. Greg knew the feeling all too well. In the beginning of his career he felt that way too.

He walked into the mess hall and took a seat by the window as he pondered the similarities between the B-Squad and his old team. There were many that surprised him. Grissom had worked by the book, much like Cruger and Sky. Catherine had a questionable past and in a way so did Z. Sydney was a peacemaker like Nick, and Bridge's light heartedness reminded Greg of himself.

He let a long breath escape from his lips as he prayed silently that Bridge wouldn't lose it as he had. A memory flashed through his mind of himself dancing like an idiot in front of Gil and Catherine with evidence in the shape of a showgirl's headdress on his head. Shaking the memory from his head, he centered his thoughts on Bridge. He desperately wanted to talk to the young ranger, but he never got a chance to get him alone.

Putting the thought aside, he focused on Kat who had just crossed the room to go sit with Boom. She had asked him on his first day if they had met before, and he had said no. Now he didn't know what to think. The more he saw her interact with others, the more familiar she seemed to be. The way she spoke, the way she moved and the way her eyes would stare into his were all very familiar. He didn't know if it was her feline heritage that gave her the ability to sense familiarity sooner or if he was just reading too much into it, but either way it was a bit creepy. Creepiness aside, she was easy on the eyes and he wasn't blind to that fact. He just wished that he didn't feel like he was betraying Sara when he thought of Kat. Sighing, he averted his gaze and stared out the window.

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Boom watched as Kat strode towards him. He always marveled at how she moved with such grace. Although he would only do so in his own mind. It was a huge secret crush and he knew it. The only other person to know of his feelings for her was Bridge and that was because of his psychic abilities. He had accidently read it in Boom's aura one day while the three of them were working together. The confrontation that followed was a little more than embarrassing and Bridge promised he would never tell anyone about any of it. However, it was nice to have someone to talk to about issues like that.

Kat sat down across from him with a loud humph and he slid her favorite snack, a bowl of tuna salad, across to her. "Thanks." He heard her mutter under her breath. He watched her for a few seconds as she slowly picked at her food. Something was on her mind, he could tell. She had been distracted all week. Ever since Cruger had dressed her down for his mistake.

"Are you okay." Boom asked softly so that he wouldn't startle her.

She glanced over her fork before setting it down. "I don't know." She answered.

Boom shook his head. It was so unlike Kat to give an answer like that and he was starting to get concerned. "Kat, you can talk to me, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "I don't know, I'm so confused."

Boom raised an eyebrow. He didn't like that answer either, because it made him downright worried. "About what."

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Kat stared back at Boom for what seemed like forever. She could tell that he was really concerned for her well being. He had been ever since her heart transplant. She felt a small tingle of amusement creep up on her. Leave it to Boom to do all the worrying.

She knew that if she didn't tell him what was up, he would freak himself out with worst case scenarios. On the other hand if she did tell him, she knew that she might end up breaking his heart. She was pretty sure that she knew what he felt for her, and she didn't want to see him hurt. She had grown to love Boom in the time she had known him, but the love she felt was not a romantic one, unfortunately for him. She loved him like someone might love a little brother.

Other than Doggie, Boom was her best friend, that much was certain. She knew what it felt like to be in his position, to be in love with someone who can't return your affections. After all, she had strong feelings for Doggie for many years, knowing that he would only have love for his presumed dead wife, Aisinya. She mourned when he was sad and rejoiced when he returned from the battle with Grumm alive with his wife in tow.

She was just afraid to say anything to Boom about his feelings for her. Or for that matter, Saying anything about what she had been confused about. Either topic could potentially disrupt the balance of her friendship with Boom. Sighing she rubbed her hand over her eyes and thought about how she was going to put her explanation into words.

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	5. Chapter 5

Bridge fiddled with the glove on his right hand as he pondered why Kat had asked him to read the new criminal investigations professor. She had said that she felt like something was wrong with him, but Bridge wasn't quite so sure. When he and the team had met him just after he had arrived, Bridge didn't get any strange feelings off of him. He just seemed like a normal, emotionless guy. Shaking his head, Bridge grumbled. Emotionless was not normal no matter how hard he tried to make himself believe it.

This guy almost seemed to not want to get to know them personally at least that was the air he had put off. Even Z said that she felt a little intimidated by him, she said she was uncomfortable around him and felt like he was interrogating her, even though he wasn't. Sky had agreed, but brushed it aside. Bridge sighed as he walked around the corner. Maybe Kat was right.

He glanced up from his glove and spotted the object of his musings sitting on a bench under a tree. Taking his glove off, he waved it in the professors direction and frowned. The Professor's colors were in a jumble. The guy had his issues, that was for sure. Placing his glove back on his hand, he walked over to where he sat. Perhaps talking to him might shine a little light on what the professor was feeling.

"Hello, Professor Sanders." Greg said as he approached.

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Greg sanders snapped his head up at the mention of his name. Bridge stood there at ease with his hands behind his back. "Bridge." He acknowledged with a nod of his head.

"Is there something wrong, Sir." The ranger asked. "You seem very lost in thought."

Greg smirked. "You're the psychic, right?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Then why don't you tell me if anything is wrong." Greg challenged.

He watched as the younger man's back stiffened. He had a feeling that Bridge already knew what was wrong with him, and he was curious to see just how much he had found out.

"Your aura is erratic, Sir." Bridge said. "I'm guessing that you have a lot on your mind and you are having trouble digesting it all."

Greg pursed his lips. "I'd be lying if I told you that wasn't true," he said. "Was that all you saw?"

Bridge nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"I suppose you're a little curious about who I am. I worked with the police force long enough to know that you guys don't let down your guard. Who put you up to this?" Greg asked.

The younger man's eyes widened, and Greg knew he hit a nerve. Bridge sputtered a bit before replying. "I don't know what you mean."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you are a horrible liar?" Greg asked. "Look, when I first met you I figured you for the funny guy on the team. Someone that wasn't serious until he had to be," he pointed out. "Talking about someone's issues is pretty serious, therefore, my guess is that someone asked you to find out about me."

"Wow, now I know what Z meant when she said that it felt like you were interrogating her when you met us. It's because you were. Only instead of asking us questions, you were being observant."

Greg's eyebrows shot up. "Was it Z who put you up to this?"

Bridge shook his head. "No. I feel like I'll betray trust if I tell you who it was, but let's just say that they were genuinely worried about you."

Greg nodded and decided not to push Bridge any further on the subject. Instead, he just motioned for him to take a seat on the bench next to him.

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Bridge took the offered seat and waited until the other man spoke. He honestly didn't know what else to say to him but, luckily he didn't have to wait long.

"I used to be like you." The professor said. "I was good at my job and I took it seriously, but I knew when to have fun as well. Nick, a friend of mine said that I was the 'comedy relief' of my team."

Bridge frowned. The man sitting in front of him was definitely not comedy relief. "Why the change?"

Professor Sanders shrugged. "Most of it happened gradually I think. At first I started to dress differently, and then one day a friend of mine told me that I had changed. She said that she had grown to respect me as a CSI."

Bridge sensed a change in the professors tone. Talking about this woman almost seemed to make him happy and sad all at the same time. One thing was certain, this man had emotions. He just knew how to hide them."She seems cool. What is she like?" Bridge asked.

The professor flinched. "The correct question would be what was she like. Sara was one of the strongest women I had ever known. She always wanted justice. She would get so mad when we couldn't nail someone who was guilty." He let out a soft laugh and pulled a picture out of his wallet and handed it to Bridge. "She was also beautiful," he said as he pointed to one of the women in the middle of four other men including the professor. "This was taken at a Christmas Party."

Bridge sucked in his breath. It would take an idiot not to see how much this man loved the woman he pointed to. She was indeed beautiful in her own way. What captured him the most was her eyes. They seemed to show her vulnerabilities somehow, even though the rest of her body language told a different story. "If you don't mind my asking, what happened to her?"

The professor bowed his head. "She was shot to death at a crime scene," he revealed with a bitter laugh. "Right in front of me. I couldn't do anything for her."

Bridge bowed his head. He couldn't imagine something like that happening to any of his friends. Although, he knew very well that it could. Sky was a walking talking reminder of that. His father had died a red ranger, leaving Sky and his mother behind. Letting out a slow breath, he handed the picture back. "The two of you seemed really close."

The man next to him nodded and what he said next sent chills down his spine.

"She was my wife."

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	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, there you are!" Kat Manx yelled at Professor Sander's retreating back. Truth be told she had been avoiding him for the past three days. She had actually planned on avoiding him still until Bridge came to her last night. What littlehe had to say, was enough to let her put away her insecurities and approach the man. She felt she needed too. If she was in his situation, she would want friends to be there for her. Greg had no one. At least he had no one in New Tech City.

The professor stopped and turned at the sound of her voice and gave her a confused look. Still he said nothing as she approached him causing her to slow down. The look in his eyes unnerved her a bit. She didn't know why he would be so confused about her. Then she saw a little smirk hint at the corner of his mouth and she sped up.

"I thought you were avoiding me."

She stopped in her tracks, startled at his boldness. "I guess I was a little." She admitted.

Greg nodded. "May I ask why?"

"It's just that you seemed so familiar." She shrugged. "I could have sworn that I knew you from somewhere, but that's impossible isn't it?"

"Yeah." Greg agreed and motioned to a bench that they could sit on. "I'm assuming that you know about Sara."

Kat gave him a puzzled look. "I'm sorry, was that your wife's name?"

Greg smirked again. "Well, at least we know that you've heard something." The smirk disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "After you asked me if we had met, I started to see things in you that reminded me of my wife. I'm wondering if it was just wishful thinking. Maybe it's the same with you. Do I remind you of anyone in your past?"

Kat frowned. "No. Whenever I see you, I have these memories. They're not mine."

"What kind of memories?" He asked puzzled.

"Memories of you when you were younger, happier and listening to horribly loud and obnoxious music while you worked." She scratched her bottom lip with her fang. "Last night, I had a nightmare that you were injured in a lab explosion. You were on the ground and I was looking directly into your eyes before you passed out. I was so worried about you." She glanced up to see his eyes slightly glazed.

"How?" He asked, but Kat couldn't tell if he was talking to her or himself. "Are you telepathic or something?"

She raised her eyebrows. "No."

"Kat, I'm not going to lie, so I'm just going to tell you. You're freaking me out." He said.

"Oh, good." Kat said with a sardonic smirk. "That makes two of us then."

Greg let out a bitter laugh. "I was injured in a lab explosion. Sara's eyes were the last thing I remembered before waking up in the hospital."

Kat frowned. "I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories."

"Don't worry about it. Feel free to bring them up. I feel comfortable with you." He said.

"Even if I freak you out?" She said with a mock glare.

Greg shrugged. "Even then. You make me want to belong. For the longest time I just felt distant, you know?"

Kat nodded. "I got really sick over a year ago, and all I wanted to do was push those who cared about me away. Deep down I was afraid that it would devastate them to lose a friend. So I did everything in my power to make the blow less devastating."

"It didn't work, did it?" He said knowingly.

She shook her head. "No matter how hard I pushed, Boom and Doggie anchored me. It wasn't until Boom told me that he was devastated when I told them about my chances of survival, did I realize that I couldn't change their feelings on the matter."

"You and Boom seem really close." Greg said, although it came out sounding like a question.

She nodded. "I love him like a brother," she laughed. "You know, the annoying little brother figure that always causes a mess."

Greg smiled and nodded.

"No matter what scrape he gets himself into, I can't stop loving him." She finished.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?" He asked suddenly, surprising the two of them.

Kat smiled. "I thought you would never ask,"she replied. "I've got to go, my lunch break is over. Meet me here at seven?"

Greg nodded and watched her walk off all the while thinking... '_did I just do what I think I did_?'


	7. Chapter 7

Z sighed as she nibbled on a piece of bread. She and Syd had been sitting in a booth at Café Bella Italia for quite some time and they had yet to order their food. Although she couldn't complain too much, the place was extremely busy and they didn't make any reservations. She supposed that was their fault. After all, they came here on all of their 'girl's nights,' they should know how the place worked by now.

Sighing again, she tried to listen as Syd prattled on and on about the proverbial saber that was lodged in Sky's hind end. She rolled her eyes and remained silent on the subject. She knew just as well as anyone that once Syd got going on a subject she was impossible to stop.

Z, though agreeing with everything Syd had to say, was also confused about Sky. He was stubborn that much was true, but recently he seemed to become a contradiction unto himself. He had on many occasions let his guard down around his team mates. A trait that she was liking very much. He was their leader, after all, and to let his guard down proved to Z that he trusted his team exclusively.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she barely felt the kick Syd delivered to her shin. "I can't believe it!"

Jarred from her thoughts, Z tilted her head at her friend. "You can't believe what?"

"Look who just sat in the booth over there." Syd stated in excited hushed tones while discretely jabbing her thumb off to her right.

Careful not to turn her head, Z glanced in the indicated direction and her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe it either. Dr. Manx was sitting directly across from the strange new Professor, Mr. Sanders.

"What is she doing with him?" Syd asked crinkling her nose.

Z shrugged. "It looks to me like they are on a date."

Syd blanched. "Why him though, he's so weird. Not a talker, that one."

"Maybe she likes him." Z supplied.

"I can't even begin to see how that is possible." Syd said with her infamous pout. "Everyone knows that she's more into types like Cruger."

Z sent a confused look in Syd's direction. "I always thought she had a thing for the geeky guys, like Boom."

Syd raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, "Ew."

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Greg was transfixed. He had been nervous until he had seen her eyes in the candlelight. Their wild sharpness that had captivated him before had melted in the soft flickering light and was replaced with warm flecks of gold and green. He had never seen anything like it.

She seemed to grow more beautiful with each passing moment and it scared him like there was no tomorrow. He knew he was in danger betraying Sara with every breath he watched Kat take, and what scared him more was that there was a part of him that didn't seem to care. The same part that told him that it was okay to fall for someone else. He had wondered from the moment he saw her why everything seemed to be so complicated.

"What's on your mind?" He heard her ask in a voice that was just above a whisper.

Tearing his eyes away from hers, he took a sip of his water. "Nothing that would be appropriate to talk about right now." He replied once he had finished swallowing his water.

"Greg," Kat said through clenched teeth. "I'm your friend, if you need to say something, do it."

He caught her eyes again. A spark burned there, one he hadn't seen the like of in a long time. First Grissom had it and then Sara flashed it at him every once in a while, usually when they wanted nothing but the hard truth.

"You can't go through everything on your own." She continued.

Sighing, he rubbed his forehead as if to keep the headache that threatened him at bay. "I was thinking that part of me feels like I'm betraying Sara when I'm around you," he stated carefully before continuing. "Another part of me is happy around you."

Once again he saw softness flood into Kat's eyes. "It's my guess that she would have wanted you to be happy."

The statement was so completely true that it seemed almost absurd and it took a minute for it to sink in. When it did, he let out a nervous laugh. "You know what her last words were?" Kat shook her head and waited for his response. "She said that I made her life beautiful and that she loved me." He shook his head. "I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"See what?"

Greg shrugged and grabbed her hand. "Everything positive aspect of life that she experienced, she would want to share it with me. When she told Nick to tell me that I made her life beautiful, she was implying that she wanted me to have a beautiful life as well."

Kat gave his hand a squeeze and grinned. "She seems like she was a very special woman."

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Kat was surprised at the sudden change in the man sitting before her. It was almost like a part of him that was thought to be long gone had suddenly come alive. He still held the pain behind his eyes, but she could sense that there was something else there as well. Something that pulled strongly at her heart, something she only imagined in her dreams.

He pulled his hand out of her grip and nodded. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out folded piece of paper that seemed to have been read several times over. "You're right. She was very special. She was always taking the side of the underdog, especially if it was a woman." He said as he handed her the paper. "I've only showed this to one other person. For some reason it had given me comfort over the past couple months."

Kat frowned and took the paper. Searching his eyes she found permission to open it. She did carefully, but once she saw it's contents, her face drained of all color and she promptly passed out.


	8. Chapter 8

The pit of his stomach seemed to fall as he watched her slump back in her seat and her head loll to the side. He called her name for what seemed like forever, and she wouldn't rouse. He did however catch the attention of Z and Syd whom he had failed to notice sitting in a booth across the room, but he paid them no mind. In an instant, although it seemed like forever, he was at Kat's side checking her vitals.

"What happened!" A frantic voice said from behind him. He took a split second to glance back, it was Sydney who asked the question. As if he wasn't already shook up enough, he'd be damned if Syd was going to add to it.

"She passed out." He said as simply as he could although on the inside he was itching to break down. He couldn't understand why she hadn't woken up yet.

"...I don't know, Sir. She just passed out." Z's voice seemed to cut into the air. Greg shook his head. He hadn't even noticed her contact anyone.

"Take her to Dr. Felix immediately." He heard the Commander's exigent voice slip through the communicator.

An almost sick feeling of dread seemed to flow through Greg's veins. "Why the urgency," He asked once Z was done talking to the commander. He started to pull Kat away from the booth and then cradled her in his arms. When he didn't receive an answer, he asked, "what's wrong with Kat?" Z frowned and Syd looked like she was ready to cry. "Sydney," He asked. "Are you able to drive?" He watched her for a moment, finally she caught his eye and gave him a distinct nod. "Good we need you to take whatever it was you came here in back to the academy. We'll meet you in the sickbay. Z, I need your help. Your with me."

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Once the three of them were situated in the car, Greg started to interrogate Z. "You didn't answer me back there. Why is that?" He asked.

Z turned in her seat as much as the seat belt would allow. "Kat's business is not mine to tell."

Frowning, Greg glanced in his rear view mirror at Kat who looked to be sleeping peacefully in the back seat. "What about your past with Kat?"

"I don't know what you mean." She stated. He could tell by the tone in her voice that she meant what she said.

"Well," Greg started. "Something has you and Sydney on edge. Syd could barely keep her cool back there," he said indicating the place they had just drove away from with his thumb. "The two of you are rangers, aren't you supposed to keep your wits about you? What has you so scared? Don't tell me Kat's story, I want your side of it."

Z seemed to take a deep breath. "The last time I saw her pass out like that, I was scared for her life for weeks. We were all told that we should probably get emotionally ready for a funeral." Her voice broke towards the end of the sentence causing Greg to wonder just how bad it had been.

"What were her odds of survival?" He asked, not really sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"A million to one. All we could do was watch her waste away."

Greg was stunned. He hadn't been expecting such unbeatable odds. Gazing back into the mirror at the peaceful form behind them, he silently hoped that Kat's recent spell wasn't a fatal one. He didn't know what he'd do if something were to happen to her.

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Z stared out the passenger side window at the buildings that they were passing, wondering about the man sitting in the driver's seat. Maybe she had been quick to judge him. After all, he was genuinely concerned for Dr. Manx, just like she and Syd were. She had seen the look in his eyes when Kat had first lost consciousness. To say that he was a little freaked out, would have been an understatement. He was scared, just like they were. She bit her lip as her train of thoughts refused to leave the subject at hand. Shaking her head, she realized that he wasn't emotionless as they had all first though. He was a passionate man.

Taking a deep breath she watched the side view mirror and everything it showed being left behind and then she focused her eyes to the lettering at the bottom of the mirror. 'Objects in mirror may appear closer than they are.' The double meaning hit her like a ton of bricks. As did everything else she had been told over the past year. 'Her chances are a million to one.' 'You might want to prepare yourselves, she's more than likely not going to survive.'

The unmistakable burning crept up behind her nose and eyes and it took all she had to hold it at bay. Why did it feel to her like something life changing was about to happen. Why did it seem like everything they thought was behind them, what going to come back and haunt them. Z couldn't shake the feelings that were coursing through her. She hated them, just as much as she hated not knowing if something good or bad lay ahead. She snuck a look at Professor Sanders and analyzed him again, silently. He was extremely good looking, with a mysterious flare about him. Tears pricked at her eyes and she just let them fall. He was perfect for Kat.

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	9. Chapter 9

Boom paced up and down the hallway as he waited for Dr. Felix's news on Kat. The rangers had been sitting on the ground talking amongst themselves softly, while Cruger and Professor Sanders stood leaning against the wall. Boom noticed that the professor seemed worried, even more so than the rest of them, although he had no idea why. He knew that Kat really liked him. Maybe, he thought, their feelings were mutual.

Stopping his pacing, he leaned heavily against the wall about ten paces from the rest of the group. She had said that she 'loved him like a brother,' and as much as it hurt him, he only wanted what was best for her. If the professor was who she chose, then he wasn't going to stand in the way. A smirk crossed his lips. He was however going to act like a brother, but he would set aside that task until he knew she was going to be alright.

No sooner than the thought crossed his mind, the sickbay doors slid open to reveal Dr. Felix and Boom edged closer to hear what he had to say.

"She's going to be fine." He had said and Boom let out a breath he didn't know that he was holding. The four rangers had jumped up and were silently celebrating with a group hug. "She was in shock, but she was in no danger." The doctor seemed to be contemplating something. "She's asking for Boom."

Boom saw the shock register on everyone's faces, and figured that they thought she might have asked for Cruger or Sanders. He knew that like usual, he was overlooked. He offered them his usual nervous smile and quickly walked into the sickbay.

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Greg felt emotionally drained. This after all was not how he had pictured how his first date with Kat would go. Then Dr. Felix stated that she wanted Boom, and he couldn't help the jealousy that seemed to roll around in his belly. To say that there was tension in the hallway at that moment was an understatement. Everyone was just as shocked as he, a child couldn't have missed the startled expression's etched into everyone's faces. Everyone except for Boom that is. He took the news as if he was expecting it.

It wasn't until he was inside that the tension seemed to break. It did not take long for everyone to settle into comfortable position's again as they waited. It didn't seem like a few minutes had passed after Boom had gone into the sickbay that commander started to stir.

"Everyone, stay here." The order was swift and everyone glanced around startled once again as Cruger pushed off the wall and walked through the doors. Before they shut, Greg was almost certain that he heard crying.

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He was surprised to see her sitting up. After all, she had asked for him first, he was totally expecting her to be half out of it. She wasn't though, instead she sat there with a look about her that he recognized as contemplation. She was troubled and that worried him. He didn't like to see her like this.

Crossing to her quickly, Boom perched himself on the edge of the bed next to her hip and took her left hand in his. "What's wrong," he asked and then added with a smirk, "sis."

She let out a brief laugh, and then frowned as tears welled up in her eyes. "I really like him, Boom."

"From what I saw, he really likes you too."

She shook her head. "You don't understand, I realized tonight that I could never be with him and I felt like my heart shattered."

Boom frowned. "It sounds to me like you love him." At his statement, she wept openly and he drew her into a hug. It was then that he noticed the paper gripped in her hand. Pulling back, he tried to get a closer look. "What's that?" He asked, when he found that he couldn't see what it was. The question only made her cry harder and so he pried the paper from her hand and unfolded it. It was a letter in Kat's handwriting addressing the family of her heart donor. "How did you get this back? You sent it a while ago."

She didn't get a chance to reply when Cruger walked in. "Boom," he said in his most commanding tone. "You're upsetting Kat. My ears could hear her crying outside."

Boom shook his head. "I'm not the one who upset her, sir." The commander glanced between his upset, best friend and the younger man before his gaze fell on the paper in the gadget tester's hand. When Cruger's eyes connected with his, Boom understood the silent commend and handed the stationary over.

The commander took in a sharp breath as understanding cut in. "Of all the scenarios I thought might play out in my life, I never though this would happen. Did you get this from Sanders?"

Kat nodded and once again snuggled into Boom's shoulder.

"What scenario," asked Boom, who was still utterly confused.

The commander frowned and crossed to the other side of the bed, it was obvious that he felt for Kat in that moment as he sat down beside her and rubbed his gloved hand over the spot in-between her shoulder blades. "Not too long ago, Mr. Sander's lost his wife."

Understanding dawned upon Boom. "No wonder she's hurting so much." Boom gripped her tighter against him. "Kat, if there is any chance for a relationship between the two of you, you have to tell him."

Shaking her head, she pulled away and wiped at her eyes. "I can't hurt him like that."

Cruger growled at her stubborn thought patterns. "Boom is right Kat."

"Don't you see, Doggie." She argued. "My heart is the only living remnant of Sara. All I am is proof that she's dead."

"Don't let him or anyone else make you think that. You're not proof that she's dead, you're proof of a miracle." Doggie said softly. "I know that you must be feeling guilty right now, but don't let it eat at you."

Boom nodded. "What ever happens, we'll be with you."

Kat's bottom lip quivered as she sniffed back another wave of tears. "Can the two of you go send him in? I need to speak with him alone." Both men nodded, and walked together out the door.


End file.
